Patna (Bihar) [India], July 11 : A day after the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to continue with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the assembly election in Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary criticised the Opposition parties on Friday for being "unaware" about the revision process, claiming that the poll panel has already asked for proper documents like Aadhar card and other information in the Enumeration Forms distributed to the voters.
He claimed that the Enumeration Forms distributed already ask for date of birth and mobile number of the electors.
"They have only advised, but these people (opposition) are unaware. The form provided by the Election Commission already asks for the Aadhaar card, date of birth, mobile number. Father, mother, wife, everyone's EPIC number is being asked. So this is not a new thing, the Election Commission has been asking for these details from everyone already," Chaudhary said.
"The ones who don't know about it, what will I say? Till July 9, more than 4 crore people have submitted their forms. They (opposition) does not even know. They should have this information that it is already being asked," he added.
As part of the ongoing SIR in poll bound Bihar, ECI had previously asked any of the 11 documents which are considered valid confirming one's identity and putting their name in the electoral roll. The 11 documents include: 1. Any ID card/Pension Payment Order issued to govt employees (state, centre and PSUs), 2. Any ID card/certificate/document issued in India by government/local authorities/banks/post office/LIC/PSU's prior to July 1, 1987, 3. Birth certificate, 4. Passport, 5. Matriculation certificate issued by recognised boards or universities, 6. Permeant Residence certificate, 7. Forest Right certificate, 8. National Register of Citizen (wherever existing), 9. Family Register, 10, Any land or house allotment certificate by government, 11. SC/ST/OBC certificate
Earlier on July 10, a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards as admissible documents to prove voter identity during the SIR of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar.
"We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay," the bench stated in its order.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi also welcomed the decision asking ECI to consider Aadhar, EPIC and Ration cards, while hoping for the 1995 precedent on Babu Lal Hussein case to be followed in "letter and spirit."
However, he also accused the "Election Commission sources" of misinterpreting SC's order, he criticised the reports quoting them, which claimed that the constitutional body accepts Aadhar as per page 16 of the Special Intensive Revision, while also informing about the EPIC number being "pre-printed" on the enumeration forms being meted out.